More Than Heaven or Earth
by Eugenicmutagenesis
Summary: Warren finally decides his time as a loner is over. He is ready to join the team known as the X Men, but it isn't that simple. Being part of Xavier's school for the gifted doesn't just guarantee you the opportunity to be amongst other teens in a similar situation; it gives you the opportunity to fight against all the injustice surrounding what it means to be a mutant.
1. Over the Edge

I stood on the edge, my palms sweaty and my heart beating with anticipation. I stared down at the large drop in front of me, down at the crashing waves. I closed my eyes and let gravity carry my body forward, over the edge. I smiled briefly, letting the water rush up towards me as I free fell. I carefully untucked my wings and almost immediately felt the air catch underneath them, allowing me to soar up into the sky. I felt the wind in my hair and my feathers, making my body tense with excitement. It was one of the few things I enjoyed nowadays, flying; soaring above all the earthly problems that had tethered me to the ground.

My white feathered wings were always in my peripheral vision, reminding me of whom and what I was. I used to not know whether these wings made me an angel or a demon. I remembered that day in Phillips Exeter Academy; this prep school that my father thought would mold me into the man who could someday run the family business. You've probably heard of it; Worthington Industries, the multimillion dollar company of which I was the heir of.

Anyway, I was sitting in class one day like I usually did, not really paying attention but seeming as if I cared a whole bunch about whatever it was that was being droned on about. You have to be alert like that when your class has a five to one student to teacher ratio. Stupid private schools. Out of nowhere I felt a sharp pain in my upper back. I had started to get these pains frequently, but for the most part could ignore the stinging sore feeling, but that day I could've sworn that I felt something underneath my skin, writhing and beating to get out. I had asked to be excused to use the bathroom and the professor had of course rolled his eyes, but let me go nonetheless. I walked at first, putting my hand down my shirt to feel in between my shoulder blades. I felt a bulge under my skin then two bulges before feeling a searing pain and running into the boy's lavatory as it was labeled.

I slipped off my button down shirt that all the guys were required to wear and looked in the mirror at the growing bulge on my upper back. I really don't mean to be graphic, but what happened next was less than holy. I gripped the porcelain sink and struggled to hold back screaming in pain and horror as the two bulges began to rip through my skin, emerging from my shoulder blades.

My tired muscles began to ache, pulling me from my memories. I checked my watch and cursed, seeing as it was ten minutes until dinner. I quickly swooped down to the place from which I had begun my flight, slipping back on my heavy coat to once again hide my secret. I struggled to get the jacket on. My wings must have grown more in these past months. I just hoped that they would stop. I wasn't quite sure if I could get a jacket large enough to fit them under if they kept going like this. They used to be small enough the hide under my button down shirt, but now required more effort to contain.

I put on a fake smile as I neared the dorms.

"Hey Worthington," yelled one of my classmates. I winced as he slapped me on the back playfully. I was glad that I hadn't started to molt again. That had been one of the single most nerve racking weeks in my life.

"Hey Brad," I smiled back before rushing off to my dorm. I silently cursed myself as I neared the door. I had forgotten my key again. "Nice one," I mumbled to myself under my breath. I resorted to knocking on the door, hoping Cameron was still in. I heard someone stirring inside sure enough.

I impatiently tapped my foot, not wanting to be late again. "Come on Hodge!" I urged him.

"Just a minute," he called back in a singsong voice.

I rolled my eyes and smiled that was Cameron Hodge for you; always caught up in something. He had been the first and so far only person I had ever revealed my secret to. I mean, how could I hide something as obvious as angel wings from my roommate and best friend?

I guess that I had become a little antisocial since the…incident. I began to shy away from any social activities or places that had a lot of people together all at once; afraid I might be exposed as a freak to the whole school or worse, my father. Finally Hodge confronted me asking why I was being so 'uptight' as he called it. I called it 'scared out of my mind'. He wanted to know and secretly I wanted to tell someone. He didn't predict exactly what my excuse was for being so uptight. When I had gulped back my nerves and took off my shirt, revealing my smaller wings at the time he had nearly fainted and then he laughed and then he had yelled at me for not telling him. Now he had gotten used to it all.

The door flew open, "Come on in," he smiled.

"Thanks a million," I shot back, rolling my eyes.

He ushered me in, eyeing the bulge in the back of my coat. "You can't wear that thing for the rest of your life, Warren."

"I know," I sighed, taking off my shirt and letting my wings free. I hated keeping them all cramped inside of my coat and button down. Hodge rolled his eyes at me.

"Now you're just showing off." I had to admit that it did seem that way. My body had become muscular from all the flying and I had seen some of the girls in the school eye me in the hallway.

I laughed and bundled myself back up, "Let's go."

I sat down, tray in hand next to Hodge and right across from Candy. Candy Southern was one of those girls that every guy in the school seemed to be after, and yeah, I have to admit that she is beautiful with her green eyes and jet black hair, but I just wasn't into her like that. I've known her since we were about five. The thing is; she knows I don't want her that way and that's why we can be such good friends.

"Hey," she smiled, "I see you've come crawling back to me again."

I laughed, "In your dreams. I just had a lab to finish up this afternoon."

Hodge sighed, "Get a room you two." He knew we weren't into each other like that, but he seemed to never give up the notion.

"I'll race you back to the dorms," grinned Candy. I looked up to see everyone getting up to go back to their dorms.

I nodded, "Alright, if you say so."

She began to count down and took off before reaching zero.

"Hey! No fair!" I yelled to her, beginning to gain on her. Soon I was ahead with Candy and Hodge not too far behind.

"Wait up! She panted.

"This is a race, remember?" I said playfully. I glanced back to see her gaining on me. Before I realized what was happening she roughly grabbed me by my coat, yanking it half off my body. I quickly slipped back into it, but it was too late. She stopped, her eyes wide open at the large bulge that had been under the coat. I slowed down and so did my heart. It seemed like it had been in slow motion. I didn't know what to do. Was there really a valid excuse for this kind of thing?

"Looks like I won," I said shakily, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," she said, still looking dazed. The remainder of the walk to her dorm was mostly silent.

"See you tomorrow," I said, as she opened the door. She managed a small smile and disappeared inside the room.

I practically flew the way back to my dorm. I slumped against the door and waited for Hodge, realizing I had forgotten the key again. That was way too close. Way too close.

I groaned, turning over to see the flashing red numbers of the alarm clock. I cursed, seeing that I had overslept a half hour. Not only had I missed breakfast, but I would be lucky to make first period on time. That would be the second time this week. I rolled over, calling to Hodge who I found had already left.

"What a great friend," I muttered to myself. I jumped out of bed and got dresses, wrestling to get my wings inside of my coat. I slung my pack over my shoulder and ran out to the lecture rooms. I quickly glanced at my watch; I was already ten minutes late!

I turned the doorknob slowly, realizing my professor had his back turned. I hoped that he wouldn't see me, but unfortunately miracles don't even happen for angels.

"I see you are late again Mr. Worthington," said my professor smugly, crossing his arms.

"Yes sir," I answered, looking him in the eyes, "I'm truly sorry. It won't happen again." I began to walk towards my seat.

"Mr. Worthington," he said again.

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't you think it is a bit warm inside to be wearing that winter jacket of yours and against the dress code?" he smirked. Man, he really had it out for me.

"I have a cold and I've been getting the chills lately, sir," I made up quickly.

"Jacket off, Mr. Worthington," he commanded.

"But-

"Jacket off!"

I grimaced and began to slowly slip off the coat. Everyone in the classroom began to stare at me, seeing as I was taking the longest possible time to take it off. I had to think of something. There had to be something to clear this all up.

"I—I need to go to the nurse," I said quickly, running out of the room as the professor yelled for me to come back.

I ran as fast as I could, past the soccer fields and the stables and the dorms. I took refuge in my usual spot near the tree over the cliff. I panted and sat on the ground.

"You want me take off my coat?" I muttered to myself, "Fine." I removed my coat and my dress shirt, letting my wings free once again. It felt so good to feel the wind blow through them, rustling the white feathers. I wondered how much longer I could keep this up. I was tired of hiding from the world. I just couldn't take it anymore; living in secret like this. I threw my coat on the ground, the thing that had confined me and kept me from being truly all the way there in conversations or in class or even around my family.

I sighed and gritted my teeth, letting my body once again plummet off the cliff's edge down into the chasm that lay in front of me. Where ever I was going off to, it was far away from Phillips Exeter Academy.

"Bye," I muttered as I let the wind take me away.


	2. Xavier's Offer

"Oh God, what was I thinking?" I asked myself, fiddling with my hair, my clothes, anything that could take my mind off of what exactly I was about to do. It was suicide. I was on a suicide mission. I tensed my legs to get up off the velvet upholstery, but stopped myself, "_Come on Worthington, you know you have to do this." _For the next five or ten minutes I paced the room, taking off my jacket and then putting it back on again, forcing myself to stay in the apartment building. I quickly seated myself once more upon hearing the turn of the keys in the lock.

"_It's going to be fine," _I soothed myself. I plastered a smile on my face as my mother and father entered the room; Catherine and Warren Worthington, owners of the multimillion Worthington Industries and also my parents. They seemed surprised which I had anticipated; I wasn't supposed to be home for another 2 weeks for Spring Vacation.

"Warren, sweetie what are you doing here?" exclaimed Mom, putting out her arms for a hug. I stayed seated, conscious of my mutation; the one they didn't know about yet.

My father frowned, "The Academy isn't supposed to get out for another two weeks."

"Well," I paused to come up with something. Why hadn't I thought of this scenario beforehand? "There were some health issues and—

My mother didn't let me get the rest out and put on her look of concern, "What happened, sweetie?" I really wished she'd stop calling me that.

"Why hasn't the school notified us?" asked my father sternly.

"It's just that— ," I began to say

"Just what?" he asked quickly.

"I had some problems with my back," I said, trying to look him in the eyes.

"That's all?" he asked, seeming relieved, "Why did they send you home? We could have set an appointment up over there." Maybe I could just write the whole thing off as an injury from some sport that I didn't actually play and call it a night.

I sighed, knowing that I hadn't made my wings this sore flying here for nothing. "I don't really think an appointment would have really helped," I confessed, beginning to unbutton the jacket. I closed my eyes as I slowly slipped it off along with my dress shirt. I let my wings unfold and take over most of the room.

My mother gasped and my father widened his eyes before cursing to himself. I quickly put my coat back on, not wanting to cause any more of a scene than I already had. How had I expected it to go though? They began to talk amongst themselves, my father putting his arms around my mother as if they'd lost a child, telling her to tell the cook to go home early.

"Go to your room," he said firmly.

"I can explain all of this," I began to say, trying to comfort them.

"I said go to your room," he said sternly, taking my mother by her arm. I nodded and walked away, my head to the ground. I thought I overheard them saying something along the lines of 'it isn't our fault'.

My head was spinning as I sat in my room. I could overhear them in the dining room, discussing what they would do with their son. They talked in hushed tones, but every once and a while I would hear my father raise his voice. I guess I couldn't blame them, but why couldn't this have gone just a little smoother? I continued to listen in on the conversation that they weren't doing a great deal to keep secret from me. I heard Dad yelling.

"Well, what else are we going to do, Catherine? We can't have our son walking around in public like this!"

"But, surgery? Isn't that a little drastic? The doctor says it might be too risky," she cried.

I cringed. As much trouble as my wings have caused me, I couldn't imagine having them surgically removed, their white feathers dripping in blood on the operating table. I just couldn't do it.

I listened them fighting about it for a while until there was a long pause and the ringing of the phone. There was another pause while my mother got up to answer it, seeming surprised and overwhelmed in her 'mmh's and 'yes's. I wondered if it was the surgeon on the phone. I tilted my head to the wall to hear Mom go back into the dining room to talk to Dad again. I briefly heard something about a boarding school around here and a professor before they got up to leave to go to a different room. I cursed as they got out of my earshot. I wondered if it was the Dean that had called to notify them of my absence. Hopefully not. I was in enough trouble as it was.

I heard a door slam and some grumbling and that was last I heard. No one bothered to come in to see me and tell them of their plans for me. I tucked in my wings and decided to wait until morning.

"Warren, are you dressed," asked my mother, nervously knocking on my bedroom door.

"Yes," I told her, opening the door. I was careful to rid my bed of any feathers and put on a heavy jacket. She smiled, her eyes wet from crying. I had heard her earlier that morning. I could tell that she was trying to control her worry and fear. Her face betrayed her fear for me and what I was becoming.

"Someone is here to see you."

"Really?" I asked, surprised that she would let anyone in to see me.

"Yes. Now, let's not keep our guest waiting." She forced a smile and led me to the sitting room.

My father was talking with a man in a wheelchair who seemed to calm him down a little.

"This must be Warren," he said warmly.

"Yes," I forced out, sitting down on one of the leather armchairs. My parents almost immediately left the room.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier."

Charles Xavier; I remembered the name, thinking back to that day in New York when I had realized I wasn't an angel or a demon. I was a mutant just like the guy and girl who confronted me about Xavier's School. Of course, I hadn't had any interest then. I was flying high (so to speak) and was home again with my parents miles away, meaning I could spread my wings as often as I liked and that meant that I could continue my career as a high flying vigilante.

I suppose it all started junior year when I had first developed my wings. I had been in the dorm with Hodge who knew of my condition at the time, blowing off the calculus homework on some dumb argument when we heard some noise outside.

We went to check it out and found that one of the buildings was on fire and a few guys were trapped inside. We heard the crashes of burning wood inside the building with those people trapped inside.

"Do you think the fire department will get there on time?" asked Hodge, turning around, "Warren?" I was already off with my hood over my head to hide my face. I extended my wings under my jacket, tearing through the fabric. That was the night that I became the Angel. Sure, no one knew it was me, but I felt like a hero and that was all that mattered to me. I was hooked.

I smiled thinking back to all the times I had saved people's lives. Some had thought I actually was an angel.

"Hello, Professor," I added.

"I am here because of the special gifts you possess."

"Did my parents call you here?" I asked warily.

"Yes, but I wish to help you," he answered, "I have a school in which mutants can learn to control their abilities and be amongst people of their own kind."

There was a pause as I pondered the idea of other people like me. "If you don't mind my asking are you a mutant as well?"

"_Yes, a telepath actually. Would you mind showing me your gift?"_ His voice seemed directly inside of my head. I cringed a bit, not sure if I loved the idea of someone able to read my every thought, but shrugged and began to take off the heavy jacket, revealing my wings to the Professor. He smiled as if it were all standard procedure at this school of his.

"Ah, the gift of flight." He nodded and smiled.

"Yeah," I answered hesitantly, "Lately I haven't been so sure it's a gift that I have."

He sighed as if he had heard it all before. He probably had. "I am offering you a place in my institute for the gifted. I hope you accept and begin to appreciate your special abilities."

"Do I have much of a choice? My parents practically are begging you to take me off their hands," I answered, opening up my hands. As if on cue the door to the sitting room reopened and my mother and father walked back in nervously. It would have been nearly comical had it not been so personal.

"So Professor," said my father shakily, "Does he have a place in your school?"

"If Warren accepts the offer, then yes, he will fit in quite well with the other students."

My parents gave me a hard look. "Sure, yeah," I stuttered, "Sounds…great."

My mother smiled, "Great! Your father and I will help you pack your things, Sweetie." Her voice was nearly dripping in false support. I wasn't a telepath, but if I couldn't read her then I was completely blind.


	3. Institute for the Gifted

**Thanks for the reviews guys! I appreciate it!**

My mother and father went almost immediately into my room after hearing the 'good' news. I could tell they wanted me out of their sight as soon as they possibly could. When I got to my room two duffel bags had already been filled with my things.

My mother smiled mechanically, "We knew how excited you must be to go, so we packed all your things while you were talking with the Professor."

"Yeah," I said, looking at the ground. I looked up at her and Dad, but they refused to look me in the eyes.

They followed me down to the street where the van was parked. My mother waved goodbye mechanically and my father just watched as I slowly walked away. I guess I sort of thought that this whole thing would be more of a big deal. I secretly hoped my parents would begin to cry, not wanting to send off their only child and run after me to tell me to come back and stay with them, apologizing for it all. I looked back at them, hoping my fantasy would play out, but they still stood on the front porch, my father's arms around my mother. They looked more ashamed than remorseful.

An African American woman with stunningly white hair opened the car door for me, my two hands being filled with my bags. She got into the car and began to drive both me and the Professor to the school.

"Hello, I'm Ororo," she introduced herself, "I am one of the teachers at the Institute." She smiled warmly.

"Hi," I said hesitantly, "I'm Warren." I bet she already knew that, but I didn't want to sound unfriendly.

"Ororo is gifted as well," explained the Professor, "She possesses the ability to control he weather."

"That's…great," I replied, my mind on other things at the moment. I kept finding myself thinking about Candy and Cameron and the relatively normal life I had left behind forever. With these damned wings there was no going back. I rubbed in between my shoulders. They began to hurt from having to fold my wings in this whole time. The Professor's voice pulled me out of my self-pitying thoughts.

"I almost forgot," he said, "I have something for you. He handed me a harness looking thing. I took it and thanked him hesitantly, not knowing exactly what it was. I didn't want to be rude.

The Professor chuckled slightly, "This will help you keep your wings tucked in closer to your back so that you may still go outside of the Institute." I looked it over, not sure how to respond; too many thoughts were racing through my head.

Maybe now I could go back. I could see my friends again and my parents! I still had a chance at living a normal life. No one else had to know that I was a mutant. I wouldn't have to go with Xavier to his school for freaks.

"I—I can't do this," I stuttered, "I have to go back."

"But Warren—

"I can still go back can't I?" I asked desperately, "I can control my powers now. No one has to know!"

"You… can't," replied the Professor, shaking his head.

"Why not?" I demanded, "I have the harness now. You said it yourself; now I can conceal my mutation. I can go back."

"I'm sorry Warren, but I'm afraid you can't go back. It's not that simple," he said softly, trying to calm me down. I felt my wings fluttering beneath my coat, straining to break free.

"All that you have to do is turn the car back around," I pleaded with him.

"You cannot," he repeated, "Your parents have relinquished full guardianship over to me and the Institute." He looked back at me sadly, "I'm sorry, Warren."

I gulped down the knot in my throat and nodded.

"We're almost there, Professor," said Ororo softly.

I felt betrayed. My parents didn't even want me. They had given me away to a man that they had just met without another thought against it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just seen it happen. My head jerked against the headrest as the van came to an abrupt stop.

I leaned my head closer to the window to see the cause. The gates before Xavier Institute were blocked out by the large throng of people that had amassed outside of the car.

I saw signs "Angel or Devil?" and "May God be the Judge". They were vague signs that brought to mind a much larger argument. My whole life seemed to go on like this. Everyone who I had ever saved, anyone who I had ever shown my secret had asked the same question; Are you an angel? I had smirked and left them wondering. This time there was no way around their question. I sighed and turned to the Professor who seemed taken aback by the crowd.

My bewildered gaze hardened into a glare of accusation. Someone had to have told these people about my mutation. I thought this was supposed to be confidential. I came here to get away from this crap, not be pulled even further into the controversy surrounding my particular problem.

"Warren…I—I'm sorry I don't know how—

The Professor began to speak, but I let the cries of the belligerent crowd drown out his false apologies; so much for a mutant safe haven. I sighed and opened the door wide, heedless of the people crowding around the van. If they were going to stand out here they might as well have something real to yell about.

I shrugged off the coat once more and extended my wings, running through the crowd that had parted like the red sea. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into a smile hearing the cries and prayers of the onlookers as I soared up into the sky.

"Someday son, you'll have to keep this place running," said my father to my smiling young face. He looked down and patted me on the head.

"Really?"

"Of course. You know that your mother and I care about your future."

It had been one of those rare days when my father had taken me to his office and I had to sit around all day pretending to know all of his workers who told me how big I had gotten. I thought; of course he cares about me, he's my dad, what kind of dad wouldn't? I never took into consideration that I might someday grow wings and get my custody handed over to a mutant boarding school.

I sat on the flat topped mansion, dangling my feet over the edge and looking at the now dispersing crowd of right wing religious freaks.

"Hello?" called a voice from behind me. I turned around, not exactly expecting any disturbances on the roof.

"Oh, there you are," said the voice, revealing itself to be coming from a beautiful red haired girl that seemed to be about my age, "My name's Jean."

"Warren," I introduced myself, getting up. I hoped that she wasn't there to pray to me. She smiled and laughed a little.

"Of course not," she said. She must have noticed my confusing and quickly added, "I just came up to see how you were doing and to say sorry for the…crowd. That normally doesn't happen here, but somebody, I'm not going to name any names, thought it would be a great idea to start a blog about the mansion."

"No, it's fine," I lied through my teeth and chuckled a bit. She must have been a telepath. Great. Another person who knew exactly what I was thinking. Her eyes were a brilliant green that I couldn't seem to look away from. I quickly tore my eyes away from hers and looked at the ground, "I was just out here gathering my thoughts is all. It's a little overwhelming here."

I saw her staring at my wings. "Sorry," I replied quickly, "I can put my coat on or—

"No," she said softly, "You're like—like an angel." I sighed a little and began to put on the coat. "No, I'm sorry," she blurted out quickly, "I'm sure you're tired of everyone saying that and—

"It's alright," I replied, "The funny thing is I'm not even religious."

I could tell she tried to change the subject, "Would you like to actually come inside?"

I flashed a smile and followed her inside. It was nice to actually be able to talk to someone without having to feign a smile or hide myself. For once I hadn't had to choke on small talk and gulp down what was really important. For once everything seemed relatively real.


	4. A Few Formalities

_Sorry for the wait. Oh writer's block, how you confound me. _

"Hey guys," she said, guiding me over to the group across the room. I tensed and heard a chorus of 'hi' and 'hello's. I took a deep breath to compose myself and feigned a smile.

"Hi, I'm Warren," I smiled. So far all of the other students looked pretty normal to me. A blonde boy stepped up to me and extended his hand.

"I'm Bobby, but everyone calls me Iceman." I gasped and pulled my hand away, feeling a freezing, numb sensation pass over my skin. I rubbed my semi-frozen palm against my jeans, grinning a bit.

"And to think I was just about to ask why they called you that."

"Jean," called a male voice, "Are you there?" A guy with brown hair and sunglasses walked into the room, throwing his keys onto the table. I had seen him before—last Christmas.

"Oh, hi Scott," she smiled and went over to wrap her arms around him. I tore my eyes away and stared at the floor. I knew it was too good to be true.

"Scott and Jean sittin' in a tree!" yelled the girl with the yellow jacket. I sighed and felt my heart slow down a bit.

Jean spun around to chastise the girl and then turned to me, "This is Scott—my boyfriend."

"Hi," he said to me, "We've met before."

"Hi." I was conscious of the awkward pause that hung in the air. I nervously put my hand to the back of my neck, "So…isn't it a little dark out to be wearing sunglasses." I immediately regretted my question and my slightly annoyed tone and ground my teeth together.

He furrowed his brow, but then grinned, "They block the optic blasts that come from my eyes."

"Oh," I replied uncertainly, "Right."

Jean stepped towards me, breaking the tension, "Your room is right up the stairs third to the left."

I turned around and stuck my hands in my pockets, trying to quickly get away from the situation. I jiggled the doorknob and found the dorm room open. Apparently locks weren't standard here. I sighed and looked around the room. There were two beds and clothing covered the room. It looked as though I had a roommate.

"Anyone there?" I called into the dark room. There was no reply and I flicked on the lights. I recognized the two duffel bags I had brought with me by the bedside. I put my face in my hands. I shrugged off my coat and hung it on the bed post.

I resolved to staring out the window at the cloudless sky with my head resting on my hands. I could nearly feel the wind sifting through my feathers as I rose up into the sky. Surely God's angels wouldn't be so self-absorbed.

I lay reluctantly down on the bed, realizing my tiredness for the first time that day. I wanted to wait up for my roommate, but I slowly felt my eyes getting heavier and my head slumping down onto the pillow.

I was awoken the next morning by the industrial sound of the blaring alarm clock. I lifted my head slowly and looked at the time; 6:30.

"But it's a Saturday," I mumbled to myself. I glanced over at the other bed. The sheets were tossed haphazardly over the bed and the pillow was on the floor, leading me to believe he was already awake. I hammered my fist down on the sleep button on the alarm clock, but it wasn't like the one I had at Exeter. I fumbled with the thing for a few minutes before deciding to just get up and unplug the cord. I sighed and picked up a sheet of paper that had fluttered to the floor.

_Didn't want to wake you. Breakfast is at 6:00. Be in the room with the two metal doors by 7:00 with you uniform on for training. Thanks. _

"Training?" I asked aloud. I wondered if they had signed me up involuntarily for some sports team. I had hoped it wouldn't be one of those 'well-rounded student' schools that force you to take extracurriculars that you have no interest or investment in.

By 6:50 I had managed to find the uniform which had been draped over the chair at the desk. I quickly realized it was just like my superhero costume I had made, but more seamless and lightweight. By that point I had gotten wind that there wasn't any sports training. I cut it close with the time and still felt groggy when I ran down the stairwell, trying to follow the directions to the 'Danger Room' that I had found on the back of the note. I had passed about twenty doors before I saw the metal doors that had been described. I opened them, still panting from my scramble to get there on time.

"Glad you could make it," snarled a scruffy well-built older man. I immediately saw that all of the other students were already there.

I laid on all the charm and charisma I had ever learned from Phillips Exeter and walked over confidently, "I'm terribly sorry. I just got lost on the first day. I assure you it won't happen again."

He eyed me with an intensity that seemed to cut through all of my established barriers, "Don't let it happen again."

He walked back to the front of the room, facing the students. I became conscious of the curious eyes mulling me over. Some of the students looked normal while others had noticeable physical mutations.

"Since our newcomer had the kindness of gracing us with his presence he gets the honor of going first. What's your name, Bub?" he addressed the class.

My heart began to beat faster, my nerves kicking in since I was totally blind to what I was expected to do. "Warren—Warren Worthington."

"That's great Worthington, but in the Danger Room we use our codenames," he growled back at me, "Do you have one?"

"Angel, I guess," I replied coolly. I had met guys like him before. They played the tough guy card, always needing an excuse for insult or picking a fight. I just had to prove myself and maybe he'd cool off a little. Hodge had been like that before I tackled him in one of the rec football games and nearly broke his rib. I didn't plan on doing it, but now that I look back, I'm glad I did.

He grinned, "Alright Angel, let's see what you've got." He stepped back along with the rest of the students and I was left on my own in the rounded metal room. I outstretched my wings and took a fighting stance upon hearing the sound of the whirring of machinery and grinding of gears. I felt my heart pump faster as the blood rushed around my body and the adrenaline brought new meaning to the initiation as I presumed it to be.

I let out a yelp of surprise as a bullet-like object grazed by my left wing. I ducked and then flew up into the air as far as I could, noticing the now steady stream of projectiles being fired at me. I panted as I dodged back and forth, performing whatever aerial maneuvers that I could to get myself out of the way of the speeding bullets. It seemed as if I had flown circles around the room before the machine came to a stop. I sighed and lowered myself back onto the ground before another ominous grinding sound started up less than a minute later.

"Getting' tired?" sniggered the instructor. I gritted together my teeth and took back to the air. I dodged left just before the metal claw could wrap itself around my body. I then proceeded to dive downwards to avoid another metal arm, causing the two to collide and leaving me to gasp in a few more breaths. The two arms retracted and the others came flooding back in.

"Was that good enough Mr…" I realized I didn't actually know the guy's name.

"Logan, but you can call me Wolverine. And it was alright for a first time," he replied, crossing his arms.

I mentally rolled my eyes. Was he kidding? That was great! It was the best flying I had ever done before. I guess it helps if your life is being threatened in some way. I kept my excitement contained to keep my indifferent visage. I pretended not to notice the others who were whispering I assumed it was about me.

I looked quickly scanned the room, wondering who my roommate could be. My eyes fell on the blue demonic looking figure at the back of the room. I wondered if he got as many questions as I got. Probably more. I chuckled slightly at the thought of us being roommates and the mobs of religious picketers outside the window. That would be just my luck.


End file.
